Carriage for separators



(No Model.)

A. G .,HOPKI NS. CARRIAGE FOR SBPARATORS.

7 Patented Mar. 15. 1-892.

UNTTE TATns Fries;

PATENT CARRIAGEFOR SEPARATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,867, dated March15, 1892.

Application filed October 23,1891. Serial No, 409,619. (No model.) v

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADELBERT O. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Ashippun, in the county of Dodge, and in the State of\Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCarriages for Separators, 850.; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereo My inventionhas for its objectto provide a carriage for certain machines-such, forinstance, as separators-that require to stand level when in operation inorder to produce the best results; and said invention consists incertain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts to behereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings andsubsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly insection, of a carriage constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, aplan view of the same, partly broken away; Fig. 3, a detail frontelevation with certain of the parts in section; and Fig. 4, a detailplan view, partly in horizontal section, on line 4 4 of the precedingfigure.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A B represent front and rear axlesfor wheels 0 D, said axles being provided with bolsters E F andconnected by a reach G to thereby form the running-gear of my carriage.Supported on the bolsters E F is a frame H, that serves as the sills onwhich to mount a separator or other machine, this frame being shown ashinged to the front bolster.

The rear axle B is shown as provided with suitable sockets Z), in whichthe lower round ends 0 of vertical posts I are free to turn, and theseposts are also free to turn in the bolster F, that is mounted on saidaxle. The upper portions of the posts I are screw-threaded, and the sidepieces of the sill-frame H are provided with screw-threaded openings forengagement with said posts. Just above the axle in which it is socketedeach post I is squared or otherwise suitably constructed to receive aworm-wheel J, that will be free to move on said post in a verticaldirection, but which on rotation will cause a corresponding movement ofthe said post and consequent raising or lowering of the adjacent portionof the sill-frame.

Arranged in suitable bearings d is a shaft K, provided with worms L formesh with the worm-wheels J on the posts I, and one end of this shaft isprovided with a sprocket-wheel M, connected by a drive-chain N with asimi lar wheel P, mounted on a stud e, that is laterally extended fromthe sill-frame, this latter sprocket-wheel being actuated by a crank Qto impart motion to a sprocket and wormgear, above described.

Each worm-wheel J is provided with a depending collar R, having anannular groove f, for engagement with the fork g of an angular bar S,that works in guides 71 on the adjacent axle and is held in its adjustedposition by a spring '1, fast at one end to said bar and impingedagainst one of the guides for the same, as best illustrated in Fig. 1.By a movement of either bar S the relative worm-wheel J may be thrown inand out of gear with the corresponding worm L on the shaft K when it isnot desirable to operate the screw-post that is controlled as torotation by said worm-wheel.

\Vhile I have shown only the posts I and their actuating mechanism inconnection with the rear portion of the sill-frame, I do not wish to beunderstood as confining myself thereto, as a similar construction may beas readily employed in connection with the front portion of saidsill-frame without departure from thespirit of my invention.

In practice if a carriage does not stand on level ground the sill-frameis adjusted by the mechanism above described to level the machine thatmay be supported thereon, it only requiring that the operator shallengage the necessary worm-gear and turn the crank controlling thesprocket and chain-gear to effect the desired result, there being enoughplay in a full-sized machine, between the lower ends 0 of the posts Iand their sockets or between the screws E and the frame F to preventcramping of said parts when the adjustment is effected.

A carriage similar to that above described is particularly useful inconnection with separators that require to stand perfectly level inorder that the grain may feed evenly over the sieves, and by theemployment of such a carriage will save the time and trouble usuallydevoted to leveling a separator by the usual methods and means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the running-gear, of vertical posts free toturn on said runninggear and having screw-threaded upper portions, asill-frame having threaded openings engaging the post-threads, aworm-wheel on each post, a shaft provided with worms for engagement withthe worm-wheels, and suitable means for rotating the shaft,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the running-gear, of vertical posts free toturn on said runninggear and having screw-threaded upper portions, asill-frame having threaded openings engaging the post-threads, aworm-wheel vertically adjustable on each post, a shaft provided withWorms for engagement with the worm-wheels, and suitable means forrotating the shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the running-gear, of vertical posts free toturn on said runninggear and having screw-threaded upper portions, asill-frame having threaded openings engaging the post-threads, aworm-wheel on each post, a shaft provided with worms for engagement withthe worm-wheels, a sprocketwheel on the shaft, a similar wheel on thesill-frame, a drive chain connecting the sprocket-wheels, and a crankconnected to the sill-frame sprocket-Wheel, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atOconomowoc, in the county of WVaukesha and State of Wiscousin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

ADELBERT C. HOPKINS.

"Witnesses:

MERRIL HATCH, OSCAR F. JONES.

